019. Spirit is Utter Truth

It is said Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 % perspiration. There is an impersonal truth behind this applicable to all statements of value. The mysterious Spirit is, after all, the truth of the moment, the Utter Truth of the ultimate significance of the event, or person. Life meets us at a millions of points of energetic expression. Each such moment has its own version of Truth. In any bargain, one such attitude is NOT to take advantage of the moment, or to consciously abandon the hold one has or has suddenly acquired. That is the tradition we have inherited from the Vedic Rishi Satyakama who told his guru that his mother had not known his father as she had been a servant in several households.

A successful small industrialist had often been inspired by the idea of the powerful Spirit. Once the workers in his three small establishments went on strike. Being the first occasion of strike in his industrial experience, he was stunned. It took a few days for him to recover. The Spirit came to his mind, but he had no idea of how to go about. One of the conversations of his other co-industrialists reminded him that he could send a telegram to his centre. Sending the telegram brought him relief inside.

Solving the problem of the strike was paramount. In his own mind he was determined to act in this crisis in such a way as he deserved to invoke the Spirit. News came that the strike leader was in jail having stolen a watch and police offered him bail if the owner stood guarantee. All his office staff felt it was a fine opportunity to demand the withdrawal of the strike from the leader. The owner refused to take advantage of the other man's weakness and offered him bail unconditionally. His family and friends thought he acted most unwisely on the basis of some illusory ideal.

Next day the strike leader brought with him twelve of his colleagues, who all offered to resign and quit the company, and requested the office to prepare their resignation letters. They did sign the papers later in the day.